This archive report was first published on 3 July 2020.
Kenyan Communities Taking the Lead in Curbing COVID-19 Spread ¶
Published on July 3, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, communities in Kenya are taking proactive measures to protect themselves and others. In a Maasai community near Nairobi, Julius Oloiboni, a Maasai elder, had already mobilized his community to take precautions against the virus by the time public health officials arrived.
Mr. Oloiboni's community, which periodically moves with their cattle between Nairobi and Kajiado counties for grazing, had been following the news of the highly infectious virus on the radio and their mobile phones. With the warnings in hand, the community set up handwashing stations in their makeshift village and restricted movement out of the village, except for the herdsmen who take the cattle to the grazing fields.
In the densely populated informal settlement of Kawangware, inside Nairobi, Judy Emeza brought her three children for a COVID-19 test after hearing about a free mass testing campaign in her neighborhood. However, others in her community were skeptical of the disease, largely due to myths and rumors circulating via social media.
"Corona has reached Kawangware. That is why I want us to get tested," Judy Emeza said while waiting to be tested. "If I am told I have the disease, I will follow what doctors will tell me to do."
Meanwhile, in the Old Town area of Mombasa, a hotspot of the virus, a man named Ahmed was the only person to show up for a recent day of free testing. His community had refused to be tested, fearing stigma and isolation.
However, in the Kongowea market, traders were chanting that they needed to be tested quickly, so that the spread of the virus did not disrupt their business. "We interact with long-distance truck drivers from Somalia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Many of them are testing positive. So, we cannot say we are all safe. We must be tested," said Kevin Siro, a grain seller.
Through the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) is capitalizing on 21 community radio channels throughout the country to relay COVID-19 messages and conduct debates and discussions on the disease and its spread. A recent survey by the Kenya Bureau of Standards found that 100% of the country's population had heard of COVID-19 and the safety messages from the government and partners, with 82% of them hearing it on the radio.
"Community engagement is critical in this response," said Dr. Rudi Eggers, WHO Kenya Representative. "And there is no one tactic around it. We have to try many things and that will push them to take action and protect themselves from the virus."
